Joined Forces, Borrowed Trouble
by AliasCWN
Summary: Moffitt is injured and the other 'rats' make the decision to take him to a British base for treatment.
1. Chapter 1

**Joined Forces, Borrowed Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 1

"Sarge!"

Sam Troy turned at the shout from his driver; the blond was steering his jeep with one hand and pointing with the other. Looking in the direction that the private indicated, Troy caught his breath. Their second jeep, with Moffitt and Tully on board, had been hit by a shell from one of the halftracks charged with protecting the convoy. Even as the German trucks made good their escape the halftrack was closing in on the wreckage of the jeep. Tully was climbing to his feet unsteadily and reaching for a machine gun. Bullets hit the sand near his feet but Tully seemed not to notice. Staggering slightly, he tried to run around the jeep to seek the cover offered by its metal frame.

Troy swung his 50 into line and opened fire on the German vehicle. A patrol car, following the halftrack, turned its attention to Troy and his jeep. Hitch swerved as bullets hit the seat next to him, embedding themselves in the back of the seat.

Troy stitched the patrol car from front to back, killing the driver instantly. One of the passengers jerked under the impact of the heavy slugs and screamed in agony. His body fell against the man beside him and pushed that one sideways. Both men toppled from the car to land in a tangled heap in the sand. Raking the patrol car with one final burst, the sergeant turned his attention and his gun on the halftrack. The gunner fell to his deadly aim, only to be pushed aside and replaced by another German soldier.

Hitch drove directly at the heavier vehicle, giving Troy a clear shot at the gunner. The replacement died as his chest exploded under the impact of the 50 caliber bullets. His body slid onto the floor on top of the man that he had replaced. An officer, standing beside the driver, glanced back as the gun went silent. His face registered his shock at the sight behind him. He leaned toward the driver and shouted an order, waving toward the fleeing convoy. Tully fired from his position behind the jeep, hitting the officer in the head. The driver looked over as the officer fell from the vehicle, shock slowing his reflexes. Hitch took advantage of the distraction to give Troy a closer shot. The halftrack plowed into the overturned jeep, its driver slumped over the wheel, dead. On impact his limp body was thrown half out of the vehicle to hang like a ragdoll.

The force of the collision sent Tully sprawling as it pushed the jeep several feet in his direction. He sat up carefully, his head spinning crazily with the effort. He smelled smoke and he could hear the crackle as flames claimed the halftrack.

"Tully! Are you all right Tully?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Tully mumbled, pushing Hitch away. Hitch was pulling on his arm, trying to get him to stand. He could hear the other private talking to him but it seemed to be coming from far away. He shook his head and tried to concentrate on what Hitch was saying.

"Tully, come on!"

"Go away!" Tully pushed Hitch away again, thinking he would just lay back and wait until his head stopped spinning. The blond kept pulling on him, repeating the same things over and over. Tully closed his eyes and tried to figure out what it was that the blond wanted; his friend wasn't usually so pushy.

"Tully, come on!"

"Come where Hitch? What do you want?" Tully asked, exasperated.

"The jeep's going to blow!" Hitch pulled on his arm again. "Come on Tully, the gas tank is going to catch fire."

'Fire!' That one word seemed to penetrate Tully's battered senses. Pushing himself up onto his elbows, he allowed Hitch to help him climb to his feet. Leaning heavily on the blond, he staggered away from the wrecked jeep.

Hitch helped him stay on his feet in the shifting sand; gripping is arm tightly and pulling him along. They were still moving away from the wreckage when there was a loud 'whoosh' and the smell of gasoline filled the air. Hitch pushed him to the ground and dropped on top of him.

The weight of the other private landing on top of him knocked the wind out of him. He lay in the sand trying to draw more air into his lungs. The next thing he knew, Hitch was kneeling beside him tugging on his arm again.

"Come on Tully, we have to go." Hitch pleaded. The urgency in his voice had more of an effect on him than all of the pulling and tugging.

"What's wrong now?" Tully glanced back at the burning jeep. "The jeep's already on fire; we're far enough away."

"Yeah, but the Germans are coming back. We have to go Tully!" Hitch dragged him to his feet again and pulled him toward their remaining jeep.

Tully grabbed hold of the frame of the second jeep for support. Hitch was pushing him, trying to get him into the passenger seat. Closing his eyes to stop spinning, Tully held tight, resisting the push.

"Where's Moffitt?"

"Right here Tully." Troy spoke from the rear of the jeep.

Tully looked around to see Troy manning the 50 caliber, his legs spread apart as he straddled the clearly unconscious British sergeant. Blood covered the unconscious man's face, mixed with the sand where he had fallen face first. His lax features were a marked contrast to his usual look of amusement. Tully stared into the pale, blood streaked features and searched for any sign of life.

"Tully, we have to go!" Hitch gave him another shove, his voice stressing the urgency of the situation.

Still dazed, Tully climbed into the seat. The blond ran around the front of the jeep and hit the starter as Troy opened fire with the 50. Tully put his hands over his ears and held his head as it threatened to explode.


	2. Chapter 2

**Joined Forces, Borrowed Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

With Troy keeping the pursuit dodging his bullets, Hitch got his jeep and its cargo clear of the danger zone. Even overloaded, the fast little vehicle outran the heavier German patrol cars. Before long the Germans gave up the chase and returned to what was left of their convoy.

Hitch glanced over at Tully in the passenger seat. "Are you okay Tully?"

"Yeah, fine." Tully mumbled, still holding his head.

"Hitch, find us some place to hide." Troy called from the rear of the jeep.

Hitchcock nodded, turning his attention back to his driving. He soon found a hill with enough trees and brush to hide the jeep while still giving them a clear view of the desert around them. Pulling the jeep behind the cover, he stopped and shut down the motor.

"Do you need help Tully?"

"No." The red head answered. "Just let me sit here for a few minutes, my head is still spinning."

"Okay." The blond agreed reluctantly. "Yell if you need anything" Tully nodded and grabbed his head as Hitch hurried around the back of the jeep to help Troy lift Moffitt to the ground.

Once Troy had Moffitt settled, he sent Hitch for the medical kit and a blanket.

"Feeling better?" Hitch asked Tully as he returned to the jeep.

Tully almost nodded his head but thought better of it. "Yeah."

Hitch reached under the seat for the medical kit. "It's a good thing that Sarge made sure we had two medical kits this time out. If we had left our only one in the other jeep we'd have a real problem right now."

"How bad is it?"

Hitch glanced at the spot where Troy knelt next to Moffitt. "I don't know, but it looks bad." Taking the kit and a blanket, the blond rejoined Troy.

"Can you take care of him?" Troy indicated Moffitt. Hitch nodded, a question in his eyes. "I'll take the watch. Tully still looks shook up and I don't know if he can see well enough to warn us in time. Check him after you're done with Moffitt."

"Right Sarge." Hitch dropped to his knees next to the wounded sergeant and began his examination. The head wound was still bleeding so he applied a pressure bandage and used the blanket to elevate his head. Looking around, he found a large loose rock to use to elevate his feet. He worked fast, cleaning the grit out of the wound and putting more gauze over the open cut. The huge lump he found gave him cause for concern, as did the uneven pupils he found when checking his eyes. Biting his lip, Hitch admitted that the wound was too serious for someone with his limited skills. The sergeant needed a doctor and he needed one fast. Giving the sergeant a quick once over, he found various scrapes and bruises, but the head wound was the only one that concerned him. He did what he could before turning to Tully. Rising to his feet, the blond approached the jeep.

"Do you have to walk so loud?" Tully grumbled at his approach.

"Sorry, how are you feeling?"

"Lousy. But I guess I'm better than Moffitt." Tully glanced over at the still form on the ground.

Hitch shrugged, not mentioning his fears to Tully. "Can I take a look at you?"

Tully looked up into the blonde's worried face. "I'm okay Hitch; I just have a really wicked headache. Everything was spinning before, but it's better now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Tully gave Hitch a half smile. "I'm sure."

"Okay, I'm going to go talk to Sarge; can you sit with Moffitt?"

Tully nodded, and then grimaced as his head apparently reminded him that moving it was not the best idea. Hitch watched him climb gingerly to his feet, holding onto the jeep frame for support. When he was sure that he wasn't going to fall, Hitch stepped back to let him walk to where Moffitt was sprawled on the ground. As Tully dropped to his knees next to the wounded sergeant, Hitch turned to talk to Troy.

"How is he?" Troy glanced back at Hitch as the blond climbed the steep slope of the dune.

"Not so good Sarge. I managed to get the bleeding stopped but he needs a doctor."

Troy nodded, his eyes once again on the desert. "What about Tully?"

Hitch shrugged even though Troy wasn't looking at him. "He has a headache, but he says he's not dizzy anymore. He managed to walk from the jeep to Moffitt without help. I have him sitting next to Moffitt just I case he wakes up."

"Okay Hitch, get the maps out and see if you can find us the nearest aid station. As soon as we know where we're going, we'll head out. I don't like the way Moffitt looks either, we'll get him to a doctor as fast as we can."

"Right Sarge." Hitch hurried to the jeep to get the map. He had located the nearest aid station and was mapping out their course when Troy yelled.

"German patrol headed this way!" Troy ran to where Moffitt lay, kneeling next to him.

Hitch folded the map and put it away. Running to Moffitt, he helped Troy load the other man into the back of the jeep again.

"Tully, get in the jeep." Troy called impatiently.

"I can fight Sarge." Tully protested.

"Not now Tully. We'll fight if we have to; right now we're going to try to sneak away."

Tully took his seat next to Hitch and grabbed hold of the edge of his seat. He swayed dangerously as the jeep took off but he didn't fall out.

Hitch headed for some low hills, keeping them between their jeep and the German patrol. Troy had cleared the 50 but now he was squatting in the rear of the jeep trying to cushion the jarring for Moffitt. Nor daring to slow down, Hitch did try to find the smoothest path for them to travel.

"Hitch, find a place to stop."

Hitch had been listening to Tully try to stifle his groans as they hit the bumps for the last several miles. He worried about how Moffitt was dealing with it, but he hadn't heard a single sound from the wounded sergeant. Finding another place to hide from searching eyes, he pulled the jeep into their new shelter. Climbing out of his seat, he went around to the back to help Troy with Moffitt. He was reaching for the wounded man when Troy stopped him.

"Leave him be Hitch."

Startled, he studied the pale face, noting the shallow breathing with a sense of relief. "What are we going to do Sarge?"

"He looks worse. Did you find us an aid station or a hospital close by?"

Hitch nodded. "According to the map, there's a base about thirty miles from here that should have a hospital. At the very least, they'll have a doctor."

"Thirty miles?" Troy glanced around. "We don't have any bases around here that I am aware of."

Hitch shook his head. "It's not one of ours Sarge. It's a new base, but it's British. I figure since Moffitt is British, they shouldn't have a problem taking care of him."

"Okay, let's shake it…but let's do it as gently as possible." Troy cautioned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Joined Forces, Borrowed Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

The lone American jeep approached the British base slowly, making sure that they didn't make any sudden moves. Troy had called back to their base to explain the situation and asked them to radio the British base and alert them to their pending arrival.

The British MPs drove out to meet them well before they got near the gate. "You the blokes who need medical attention?" A burly sergeant asked as they pulled up alongside the jeep.

"Sergeant Sam Troy." Troy responded. "We have a wounded man who has a head injury."

The British sergeant looked them over carefully before he gave the nod to his men to lower their weapons. "Follow us in." He ordered. Glancing at Hitchcock, he issued a warning. "Stay right behind us and don't try to go anywhere else."

Hitch nodded, popping a bubble as the sergeant glared at him.

With the British MPs leading them in and another group of MPs following them, they made their way to the medical building. As Moffitt was picked up and placed on the stretcher, a lieutenant arrived to check on them.

"He's British." The lieutenant noted with a shocked expression.

"Yes Sir, he is." Troy replied.

"But you're American."

"Yes Sir, we are." Troy admitted.

"What's a British sergeant doing with an American unit?"

"We borrowed him and just haven't returned him yet." Troy explained.

"You borrowed him?" The lieutenant searched the sergeant's face for any sign that he was joking.

"Yes Sir."

A doctor approached and interrupted the exchange to ask about Moffitt. Troy explained how he had been hurt, when it happened, what they had done for him, and how long he had been unconscious. The doctor asked a few more questions, some they could answer, some they couldn't. Finally he turned to leave, ready to return to Moffitt. His eyes fell on Tully, who was still not his old self. "Bring that man inside too; he looks like he could use some medical help." Not waiting for an answer, he turned away.

Tully looked up in surprise but offered no resistance as two MPs took his arms and guided him into the building.

"You and your other private will come with me Sergeant." The lieutenant commanded.

With a glance at the building where Moffitt and Tully were being treated, Troy and Hitchcock allowed themselves to be escorted to another building. Once there, they were taken to an empty office and left alone.

"What's going on Sarge?" Hitchcock asked uneasily.

"My guess, they're trying to make sure that we're who we say we are. They're probably on the radio with Colonel Wilson or Captain Boggs right now."

In the British Captain's office:

"Are we sure they are who they claim to be?"

"We are on the radio with their commander right now Sir. They are giving us descriptions of all four men in their unit." The lieutenant answered.

"They claim to be with the Long Range Desert Group; how can that be Lieutenant? You told me that three of them are American. The LRDG is a British commando operation." The Captain tried to remember all that he knew about the operation.

"Yes Sir, it is mainly made up of British troops. We started the operation but there are some teams made up of other nationalities. I believe that there are some Australian troops and some from New Zealand too."

"But these are American." The Captain repeated.

"I've heard tales of a team that has both American and British members Sir. I believe that the British soldier was a sergeant. They were supposed to be stationed around here somewhere. They have some vile name. I believe that the Germans gave them the name. Apparently they have done considerable damage and the Germans have compared them to the desert rats that inhabit the region. They call them the Rat Patrol Sir."

"Rat Patrol?"

"Yes Sir. They're quite well known around the area. I heard quite a bit about them while we were held up at the seaport. They have made quite a name for themselves."

"I suppose that their leader was the British sergeant, the one who is injured?"

"No Sir." the lieutenant admitted. "The leader is the American sergeant."

The Captain was about to reply when there was a knock on his door.

"Yes?"

An orderly entered with a message for the Captain. The officer took it and read it, then read it again. Handing it to the lieutenant, he waited as his junior officer read it too.

"Do those descriptions match the men the MPs brought onto the base?"

"Yes Sir, to a T."

"Show them in Lieutenant."

Troy and Hitch stood as the lieutenant opened the door to the room where they waited. Turning to face him, they waited expectantly.

The lieutenant beckoned them to follow him. He led them into a larger office where they were met by a Captain.

"You're identity has been confirmed Sergeant. You and your men are free to move about the base."

"Thank you Sir." Troy responded. "May we see Sergeant Moffitt and Private Pettigrew, Captain?"

"I'm told that the sergeant is still unconscious but you are welcome to drop by and check on him if you like. Your private is also being held for observation. The doctor wants to keep an eye on him for at least twenty-four hours. He is awake, I believe. I'll have Sergeant Willis escort you to the medical building to check on your men. When you are through, he can show you to your quarters. I'm afraid that we are a little short on space here so the two of you will have to share a room."

"That's all right Sir, we're used to sleeping almost anywhere. If it's going to be a bother, we can bed down next to our jeep. It wouldn't be the first time that we did that Sir." Troy responded.

"I'm sure," The Captain answered, "spending so much time behind enemy lines, I don't imagine that the Germans offer you any accommodations."

"Oh, they offer Captain." Troy smiled as he contradicted the officer. "We just prefer to sleep in a room with no bars on the windows."


	4. Chapter 4

**Joined Forces, Borrowed Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

Tully Pettigrew awoke to the sound of a voice with a clipped British accent. The voice didn't sound like Moffitt's but it took him a moment to remember where he was. Looking toward the voice, he found himself looking up at a tall, thin man with red hair and a receding hairline. The only things he appeared to have in common with the sergeant were his accent and a shared homeland.

Noticing his movement, the doctor finished the notations he was making on a chart and hung the chart on the foot of the bed. With a smile, he approached Tully's bed, reaching for his wrist to take his pulse.

"How are you feeling Private?"

"Fine." Tully answered, searching the nearby beds for Moffitt. "Where's Doc?"

"I am a doctor Private." The doctor assured him.

"Yeah, I sorta figured that." Tully drawled, still searching the rows of cots. "But I want to know where you put Doc?"

"Doc?"

"Sergeant Moffitt." Tully explained a bit impatiently. "He's here isn't he?"

"Oh." The doctor replied, finally understanding who Tully was asking about. "The sergeant is in another part of the hospital. We have him under constant watch by the nurses."

"He's gonna be all right though, right?"

As the doctor hesitated Tully tried to sit up to go look for his sergeant. The sudden movement made his head spin.

"Hold on there Private." The doctor leaned forward and pushed Tully's shoulders back onto the cot. "No sudden movements just yet."

Holding his head with one hand and the cot frame with the other, Tully closed his eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning.

"You took quite a beating yourself Private. Just lay back and let me take a look at you."

"I'm okay; I just need to find my sergeant." Tully insisted.

"Let me be the judge of that Private, after all, I'm the one who spent all that time in school learning how to do that." He put his stethoscope against Tully's chest before he continued. "Your sergeant isn't going anywhere for a while, I'm afraid. He's still unconscious. He took quite a blow to the head."

"He's going to be okay though?" Tully repeated.

The doctor took the time to check Tully's eyes before he answered. "The x-rays we took show a hairline fracture of his skull. It's a good thing you got him here as quickly as you did."

"Sarge had us bring him straight here."

"Your sergeant? I understand that there were only four of you."

"Yes sir."

"With two sergeants?"

"And two privates."

"Rather unusual to have two sergeants for a four man squad, isn't it?"

"I guess." Tully shrugged as the doctor finished his exam. "Doc was loaned to us for a special assignment and we liked him."

"So you kept him, is that it?"

"Yes sir."

"Interesting. And how has it worked out for you?"

Tully eyed the doctor with suspicion. "What do you mean?"

"Do you resent taking orders from a British sergeant?" Finishing the exam, the doctor stepped back to get a better look at his patient.

"Doc is one of us, we don't care what uniform he wears." Tully explained simply.

"Is there a problem here?"

The doctor turned as Sam Troy and Mark Hitchcock approached.

"No, no problem. I was just checking the private before I released him." The doctor studied the two men before him curiously. Turning to Tully, "You will still need to take it easy for a few days. Try not to stand up too quickly or turn too fast. Since your sergeant is going to be here for a while, I assume that you will be staying on the base yourself for at least a few days anyway."

Tully nodded. "Got it Doc." He winced as the movement sent a wave of dizziness over him.

The doctor smiled knowingly. "No sudden movements." He repeated. "Slow and easy."

"Got it Doc." Tully repeated without the head nod.

The doctor smiled again and turned to Troy. "I am releasing him to your care. See that he doesn't overdo it."

"Thanks Doc. We'll see that he follows your orders." Troy looked at Tully, a questioning look in his eyes.

Tully shrugged and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. He waited until the doctor was at the other end of the row of cots before he spoke.

"Have you seen Doc?"

"Yeah." Troy answered, pulling his eyes away from the doctor. "He's still unconscious."

"Can I see him?"

"Sure Tully. Hitch and I will help you over to the next section of the hospital. They have Moffitt right next to the nurse's station where they can keep an eye on him all the time."

Hitch hurried to Tully's side to help him stand. With Troy and Hitch both supporting him, he was able to walk slowly.

"What was going on when we walked up?" Troy asked as they left the room to find Moffitt.

"That doctor was asking about Doc." Tully paused to catch his breath. "Funny," twisting his head in thought, he continued, "he wanted to know if I resented taking orders from Doc."

"Why?" Hitch put Tully's arm across his shoulder to give him more support.

"Just curious I guess." Tully answered.

"I mean why would you have a problem?"

"Don't know." Tully shrugged.

Troy let the matter drop as he took a quick step when Tully lost his balance.

The three of them took turns sitting with Moffitt while they waited for him to wake up. Tully and Hitch took turns reading to him from an old paperback book that one of the orderlies had loaned them.

Troy spent his time talking to him about any subject that came to mind.

"You know Moffitt; the fact that you're British and we're American seems to have stirred up quite a controversy around here." Troy paused to study the British sergeant's face. "I have a feeling that you'd better wake up pretty soon before someone takes their concerns to a higher authority. I'd hate to have them push to get you reassigned just because they have a problem with our arrangement. If you have a problem with it, that's one thing, but I don't want to lose you because someone else can't deal with it." Troy paused again, hoping that Moffitt would respond in some way. "I hope that coming here doesn't turn out to be a mistake." He stopped that line of thought. "No, it wasn't a mistake; this was the closest place to get you a doctor. You didn't look so good Moffitt; you had us scared this time. You do know, I hope, that if you wake up and remember any of this, I'll deny ever saying it. I don't know how we ever got along without you. I'd never say this to your face, or tell Tully or Hitch; but you're the best second that I ever had. I've really come to rely on you, I trust you Jack, I,…we, need you. Don't you dare die on us." The sergeant looked around quickly, making sure that there was no one close enough to hear him. Satisfied, he resumed talking to the unconscious patient.


	5. Chapter 5

**Joined Forces, Borrowed Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 5

Tully was reading to Moffitt when Hitch walked in. He glanced up and lowered the book at the frown on the blond's face.

"What's wrong Hitch?"

The blond shook his head, reaching for the book. "Nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing." Tully noted.

"It's just…"

"Just what?"

"Some guy stopped me on my way here to tell me we should work with our own kind. He said he didn't take kindly to us ordering one of their guys around and getting him hurt."

"Did you tell him that Doc is one of us?"

Hitch shook his head. "I don't think he would have listened to anything I said. Anyway, he said his piece and then took off." The blond looked around them before he continued in a lower voice. "I don't think they like us around here. Somehow they got the idea that we let Doc get hurt."

"That's crazy!"

"I know. Heck, you got hurt too. I guess they didn't consider that."

"I didn't get hurt bad, not like Sarge."

"Bad enough." Hitch glanced around again. "Just be careful crossing the base alone."

"Hitch, these guys are our allies."

"Somebody better tell them that."

Tully left to return to their assigned quarters with the conversation still playing in his mind. For the first time since their arrival, he felt uncomfortable under the watchful eyes of the British soldiers. No one approached him but he was acutely aware of their eyes following him. Reaching their temporary quarters, he was relieved to find Troy already there, resting on a cot.

"Hey Sarge."

"Tully." Troy opened his eyes as Tully stopped next to him. "Something wrong?"

"Maybe."

Troy sat up, instantly alert, waiting for Tully to explain. Tully repeated what Hitch had told him. He mentioned the way that the British soldiers watched him as he crossed the base. "Bottled up here with tensions high and nothing to do but wait for a German attack, I don't know Sarge; it seems like trouble waiting to happen."

"I don't want you or Hitch going anywhere alone until I look into this." The sergeant warned with real concern in his voice.

"I already told Hitch that." Tully explained.

"All right, when I go to sit with Moffitt, I want you to go along and the two of you can walk back together."

Tully nodded; troubled that it wasn't safe for them to leave their quarters alone. "I hope Doc wakes up soon so we can get him out of here. It's odd; we usually get along just fine with the British troops."

"Like you said, they don't have much to do but worry about an attack. Don't start anything Tully. Do your best to avoid trouble. I'll have a talk with the base commander and try to defuse the situation."

"Okay Sarge, Hitch and I don't want any trouble. We'll do what we can to avoid it."

"Get some rest." Troy suggested. "I'll take over for Hitch in a couple of hours; he should be all right until then."

"It'll be dark by then; we'll take the long way back and try to stay in the well-lit, busy parts of the base." Tully agreed.

"All right, get some sleep."

The base was quiet as Troy and Tully walked across it several hours later. Only the busy sections were lit, leaving the rest in shadows. Tully glanced around as they walked, catching glimpses of men watching them pass.

Troy ignored the stares they received as they passed small groups of bored men. There was an air of expectation in the posture of the men that was common to any soldiers stationed on the front lines. They could never completely relax this close to the enemy lines. All the training and all their experience still could not prepare some of them for the boredom and danger that co-mingled on a front line base.

For Tully, the walk to join Hitch was longer than he remembered. The tension in his shoulders was giving him a headache by the time they reached the hospital.

Hitch stood up and stretched when he saw them approaching. Marking his place in the book, he frowned when he noticed their serious expressions.

"What's wrong Sarge?"

"Tully told me what happened to you on your way over here. I want you two to stay together until I can get this thing straightened out. I'll talk to the base commander as soon as possible."

"Right Sarge." The blond gave Tully a relieved smile. "Will you be all right alone?"

"I don't think anyone will try anything in here. Just make sure you both come when Tully comes to relieve me."

The two privates nodded and left the hospital together.

"Sarge says to stay in well-lit areas and avoid trouble if we can." Tully explained.

"Right." Hitch responded doubtfully.``


	6. Chapter 6

**Joined Forces, Borrowed Trouble**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 6

"Troy."

Troy looked from the base commander to Moffitt. Moffitt's eyes were open and he was watching the two men talked. His voice was weak but it sounded like music to Troy's ears.

"Moffitt!"

The base commander smiled at the two sergeants, their bond apparent in their greeting. His misgiving about their relationship was settled in his mind as he watched them interact. There was no doubt in his mind that the American sergeant was truly happy to see his British counterpart awake.

"How are you feeling Doctor?" Troy leaned over Moffitt to check his eyes. "You look better."

"Better than what?" Moffitt groaned.

"Better than the way that you looked when we brought you here four days ago. "

"Four days?" Moffitt appeared shocked.

"Yep." Troy nodded.

"Is Tully all right? Where is he?" Moffitt struggled to look around.

Troy smiled, relieved to see Moffitt awake and alert. "Tully's okay. They kept him overnight to keep an eye on him but they released him the next morning. He's with Hitch."

"I saw him flying through the air just before everything went black." Moffitt admitted. "I was worried about him."

"We've all been worried about you. Tully and Hitch just left about an hour ago. They'll be glad to know you finally decided to wake up." Troy smiled at Moffitt.

"After that battle, I think I earned a little nap." Moffitt smiled at the American sergeant. "In fact, I think I'll take another."

"Go ahead, we'll be around if you need anything."

Moffitt nodded sleepily, yawning widely.

"Perhaps we should go find your privates and let them know the sergeant is awake and we can take care of that other problem too." The base commander suggested.

Troy watched as Moffitt's breathing slowed and evened out. "They were headed back to our quarters Sir."

"I'll walk over with you Sergeant." The British Captain offered. "You can give them the good news and perhaps we can come up with some way to solve this other problem. My men do not usually have a problem with American soldiers; other than the usual rivalry."

"I think that this may have more to do with Sergeant Moffitt being part of our unit than any rivalry Sir. Hitch, Private Hitchcock, said that they were very specific about that."

"I must admit,' the Captain replied, "I was a bit confused as to how that came about. Just how did the sergeant end up assigned to your unit?"

"We drew an assignment to blow an abandoned British ammo dump. Sergeant Moffitt was sent along as a desert expert to make sure that we found it before the Germans did." Troy shrugged, "We'd just lost a man and had an opening in our ranks. Sergeant Moffitt fit in with our methods, not an easy thing to do. I put in a request to keep him, he got along with Hitch and Tully, and I liked him. It turned out, he had put in a request to stay; he liked the way we worked. We've been together ever since."

"And have there been any problems where chain of command is concerned?" The Captain asked curiously.

"No." Troy replied honestly. "Jack, Sergeant Moffitt, accepted me as leader and immediately won the respect of the privates. We're a tight group Captain; we take care of each other."

"And the privates accepted him without a problem? They take his orders?"

"They like and respect him Captain. As far as they're concerned, he's one of us. There are no Americans and Brits Sir, we're all the same. They'd follow him anywhere…and he'd do anything for them."

"Sounds like a very good combination Sergeant. I checked your records; you have some very impressive references." The Captain smiled, not ashamed to admit that he had checked on them.

"Thank you Sir, we do our best."

The two arrived at the visitor's quarters where Troy and his men were quartered. Troy led the way to their room. He knocked and pushed the door open without waiting for an answer. The room was dark and he expected to find both privates in their cots. Lighting a lantern, he turned to the cots. He froze at the sight of the empty beds.

"I thought you said they were coming straight here." The Captain remarked as the empty cots were illuminated.

"They were Captain. Tully said they would stay in well-populated areas but they would make their way right back here."

The Captain raised his eyebrows at the statement. The absence of the privates appeared to be cause for concern. "I suggest that we try to retrace their path Sergeant. Perhaps someone saw them or knows where they went."

Troy chewed on his lip with worry as he extinguished the lantern and returned it to the table. "Do you want to start here or go back to the hospital and start there?"

"I suggest that we return to the hospital. We may find someone who saw them leave. We know they left there but never arrived here. They could have been stopped anywhere in between."

"Yes Sir. I suggest that we watch for large gatherings of men." Troy tried to decide how best to conduct a search.

"Why is that Sergeant?"

"My men won't go down without a fight Captain. They'll try to avoid trouble, but they won't take a beating without giving back as good as they get."

"Let's hope it didn't come to that Sergeant, but I suppose it might be wise to check with the hospital to see if any new patients were admitted."

The hospital didn't have any new patients to report, much to the relief of Troy and the Captain. They asked around and found several witnesses that could tell them which way the privates had gone.

They kept asking everyone they met, finding others who admitted seeing the American privates. The trail led them toward the visitor's quarters, through the center of the base.

Troy's concern grew as they traveled further and found no sign of his men. Loud laughter drew his attention. Coming around a corner, he and the Captain spotted a group of men ahead, standing around a central focal point.

"Wait Sergeant." The Captain threw out a hand to halt Troy's forward progress. "They seem to be calm enough, let's not rush into something until we understand it a bit better."

Troy looked into the calm face of the Captain and nodded tightly. They approached the group without attracting any attention. They weren't noticed as they paused just outside the light coming from the motor pool.

Tully and Hitch were in the center of the group. Tully was in the process of explaining how to get more speed out of a jeep motor.

"But mate, how do you know if your adjustments are correct?" Someone in the crowd called.

"Easy." Tully drawled. "If the revenuers catch you, the adjustments are off."

There was a round of laughter at the explanation.

Troy grinned. Catching the Captain's eye, he tilted his head back the way they had come. The Captain nodded and retreated to an alley that ran along the motor pool.

"I guess they found some common ground on their own Captain."

"It would appear that way." The Captain agreed with a smile. "I guess I can return to my own duties now. Are you satisfied with the situation as it appears?"

"Yes sir, thank you Captain."

"Are you coming Sergeant?" The Captain paused to wait for Troy.

"No Sir. I think I'll stick around and let Tully and Hitch know that Moffitt is awake."

"As you wish, good night Sergeant."

Troy listened to the rest of Tully's detailed explanation as he waited for someone to notice him. Once someone saw him, the two privates hurried to his side, concerned that something had happened to Moffitt. He hurried to tell them the news, putting their fears to rest. The news, though happily received, broke up the gathering. Tully and Hitch walked with him back to their quarters.

Tully explained that they had had every intention of going straight to their quarters, but, on passing the motor pool, had heard a mechanic venting his frustrations at some mechanical problem. Realizing what was causing the problem, Tully and Hitch had stopped to explain the solution. One thing had led to another until a crowd had formed and they had gotten into several heated debates over mechanical subjects. Once the British mechanics had been convinced that the 'Yanks' knew what they were talking about, they had combined forces to fix the problem.

"They aren't a bad bunch of guys once you get to know them." Tully remarked around his trademark matchstick.

Troy smiled at the antics of his men, not surprised that they had won over the suspicious, edgy Brits.

"I don't mind that you stopped to help at the motor pool." Troy told them. "But I think we need to get some rest. As soon as Moffitt is ready we will need to get back to our own base, Maybe your new friends will loan you some tools so you can get the jeep ready to roll; I want it in good shape since we're all going to be riding home in one jeep."

"Not really Sarge." Hitch responded with a smile. "The Lieutenant sent someone out to retrieve our other jeep. They got it back here this afternoon. Tully and I are going to look at it tomorrow after breakfast and see if we can get it running again."

Troy smiled in the dark. 'Yes, he had a good team'. The combination was better than he had ever hoped for or expected; he thanked his lucky stars and unlocked the door to their quarters. While Moffitt recovered, his two privates could keep busy fixing their ride. They still had a war to fight…and win.


End file.
